COCONUTS HOT SPOT – A welcome facet of Thai cuisine is its unwavering consistency. The emphasis placed on getting a dish “right” according to tradition is stronger than the emphasis placed on pushing culinary boundaries.
This isn’t the case at Garlic, a longstanding establishment located near Bang Sue. The restaurant is run by a chef who returned to Bangkok after a long tenure as a restaurateur in the United States and he may have brought a little of that international experience into his menu. At Garlic, you’ll find unique touches and components that are certainly unavailable on the garden-variety Thai menu.
Although the odd, Tudor-style décor may hint at European tradition, Garlic’s menu is purely Thai, dotted with experimental dishes you most likely won’t find anywhere else. These include the Sarai Thalam Nam Daeng, also known as “Sea Algae in red sauce.”
Smoky bacon pieces find their way into the Garlic & Bacon fried rice, which on the plate looks very normal, but tastes heartier than any other kaew pad we’ve ever eaten. This likely owes to the bacon grease that coats the rice with an extra layer of irresistible fat.
The ubiquitous tom yum koong gets the experimental treatment as well: instead of a full bodied nam khon preparation which usually uses loads of coconuts milk, Garlic holds back on the milk and throws some fleshy bits of actual coconuts into the soup to give it a unique twist.
The restaurant’s reputation is built on a few key dishes like the kai pad foo yung, an omelet loaded with shrimp, ‘shrooms and crabmeat. The kung sadung is a long-time favorite as well; it comes slathered in a delicious garlic and chili sauce that does proper justice to the restaurant’s namesake.
Garlic is the antithesis of the “new experimental Thai” revolution that incorporates gimmicky foams and pastes into Thai cuisine. This is traditional food with a twist, and it’s perfect for those seeking solid Thai fare with a little something extra.
FIND IT:
Garlic
97/73 Soi Chotiwat
Prahchachuen Rd, Saphan 99
